Corey Mc Kernan - The North Melbourne Kangaroos - 1996

1996

After another solid season in 1995, in which he continued to improve, McKernan took his game to new level in 1996. Alternating between the Ruck and forward line, McKernan was dominant, often turning games with his high leap, ability to regularly take contested marks and long kicking. Not to be overshadowed by his superstar captain Wayne Carey, at seasons end the AFL Players Association awarded him its Most Valuable Player award (now known as the Leigh Matthew Trophy). Disappointingly however for McKernan, history repeated itself in 1996 when he polled the equal most votes in the game's highest individual honor, the Brownlow Medal, but was ineligible to win the medal due to an earlier suspension that season. North Melbourne went on to win the 1996 AFL Premiership, with McKernan typically magnificent in the Grand Final against Sydney. His career high 29 disposals came in the Grand Final. To add to his list of honors, McKeranan was named first Ruckman in the All Australian team and some experts had him ahead of teammate Carey as the best player in the league.

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